363 Edgware Road Screening Request
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P20-1472/BC/KS 21 September 2020 Planning and Building Control London Borough of Brent Brent Civic Centre Engineers Way Wembley HA9 0FJ Dear Sir/Madam Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (as amended) Request for Screening Opinion 363 Edgware Road, Colindale, London, NW9 6AF Under Regulation 6 of the Town and Country Planning Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2017 (as amended), our client, Utility Warehouse Ltd, requests a Screening Opinion from the London Borough of Brent (‘the Council’) in relation to the demolition of the existing building and proposed residential-led mixed use redevelopment at 363 Edgware Road, London, NW9 6AF (‘the Site’). Regulation 6 of the EIA Regulations state that a request for a screening opinion shall be accompanied by: a) a plan sufficient to identify the land; b) a description of the development, including in particular i) a description of the physical characteristics of the development and, where relevant, of demolition works; ii) a description of the location of the development, with particular regard to the environmental sensitivity of geographical areas likely to be affected; c) a description of the aspects of the environment likely to be significantly affected by the development; d) to the extent the information is available, a description of any likely significant effects of the proposed development on the environment resulting from – i) the expected residues and emissions and the production of waste, where relevant; and ii) the use of natural resources, in particular soil, land, water and biodiversity; and e) such other information or representations as the person making the request may wish to provide or make, including any features of the proposed development or any measures envisaged to avoid or prevent what might otherwise have been significant adverse effects on the environment. Page | 1 363 Edgware Road, Colindale, London, NW9 6AF www.pegasusgroup.co.uk This information is set out within this letter and enclosed Site Location Plan. For reasons set out below, it is the opinion of Utility Warehouse Ltd that the proposed development is not EIA development and therefore an Environmental Statement (ES) to accompany the outline planning application is not required. Site Description and Context The Site is 0.35ha in size and comprises the north-eastern part of Colindale Retail Park, fronting onto Edgware Road. The Site is bound by Edgware Road to the east, Windover Avenue to the south, car parking associated with Colindale Retail Park to the west and Beis Yaakov Primary School to the north. The Site comprises a single building accommodating a car show room (sui generis) occupied by Kia at ground floor level, together with a 3 storey multi-storey car park above. The Site also extends to include forecourt parking to the front of the building, adjacent to Edgware Road. The Site is identified in Brent’s adopted Policies Map (2016) as falling within the ‘Sarena House / Grove Park / Edgware Road’ Site Allocation (ref. B/C2), and also falling within the Burnt Oak/Colindale Growth Area. There are a number of tall buildings in excess of ten storeys along Edgware Road within the Growth Area. This includes Zenith House (16 storeys) on the opposite side of Edgware Road to the Site; Utility Warehouse (13 storeys) at 508 Edgware Road, c290m north of the Site; and The Northern Quarter London (19 storeys) at 50 Capitol Way, c470m to the north of the Site. Brent Council have also resolved to grant planning permission (ref. 17/2284) subject to S106 agreement for redevelopment of Park Parade Mansions and 381-397 Edgware Road for part 4 part 5 and part 18 storey building comprising retail uses and 110 residential units. This site is located on the corner of Edgware Road and Grove Park, immediately to the north of Beis Yaakov Primary School, c85m to the north of the Site. Other developments currently being undertaken or recently completed within the Growth Area, including the Silver Works residential development approximately 50m the north- west of the Site (behind Beis Yaakov Primary School). The ‘399’ redevelopment at the former Oriental City site along Edgware Road, approximately 150m north of the Site, is also nearing completion. Page | 2 363 Edgware Road, Colindale, London, NW9 6AF www.pegasusgroup.co.uk The Site is not in a Conservation Area and the existing building on the Site is not statutory or locally listed. Beis Yaakov Primary School located immediately to the north of the Site and comprises a locally listed building. The nearest statutory listed buildings comprise nos. 3 and 5 Buck Lane (Grade II listed), located approximately 400m to the south-west of the Site; and a Grade II listed milestone between the Greenway and Annesley Avenue, located approximately 340m to the north-west of the Site. The closest scheduled monument to the Site is ‘Manor House moated site, East End Road, Finchley’ is situated 4.5km to the east of the Site. The Site is not located in or adjacent to a SSSI, SAC, SPA or Ramsar Site and is not in or adjacent to a Local Nature Reserve. Brent Reservoir comprises a Local Nature Reserve and SSSI, and is located 1.35km to the south-east of the Site. The Site is located within an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). The Brent Air Quality Action Plan 2017-2022 identifies measures to manage air pollution in the affected areas. The Site is located entirely within Flood Zone 1 which indicates a low probability of flooding. The Council’s Surface Water Management Plan (2011) states that the Site is located within a Critical Drainage Area. Proposed Development The proposed development comprises the demolition of the existing building and erection of a building of circa 6 to 19 storeys plus basement comprising commercial/retail uses on the ground floor and residential uses on the upper floors, together with associated car parking, amenity space and landscaping at 363 Edgware Road, London, NW9 6AF. The proposals are continuing to develop as preparation for the application progresses, however the proposed development would include: • Demolition of existing single storey commercial/multi-storey car park building and hardstanding and site preparation works; • Development of up to 165 residential units comprising a mix of sizes and tenures with private and communal amenity and play space; • Development of up to 1,200 sqm of commercial/retail floorspace on the ground floor; • Provision of car parking within basement; Page | 3 363 Edgware Road, Colindale, London, NW9 6AF www.pegasusgroup.co.uk • Associated infrastructure and public realm enhancements including soft and hard landscaping. The current design proposals comprise the delivery of a single ‘horse-shoe’ shaped building with amenity area accommodated within the courtyard area; commercial space on ground floor and residential units above; and parking in the basement. EIA Screening Requirements The EIA Regulations define ‘EIA development’ as development which is either ‘Schedule 1 development’ or ‘Schedule 2 development’ that is ‘likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size or location’. The proposed development can technically be categorised as a Schedule 2 development within the EIA regulations, specifically falling within section 10 ‘Infrastructure Projects’, subsection b ‘Urban Development Projects’. The site is not considered to lie within a “sensitive area” as defined by the EIA Regulations, (i.e. within a Site of Special Scientific Interest or European site, National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Site or Scheduled Monument) and therefore the applicable thresholds/criteria for defining a development as Schedule 2, section 10b, are: i) “the development includes more than 1ha of urban development which is not dwellinghouse development; or ii) the development includes more than 150 dwellings; or iii) the overall area of the development exceeds 5 hectares”. The proposal exceeds the threshold identified within part (ii) as the development proposes up to 165 dwellings. It is therefore appropriate to request a Screening Opinion from the Local Planning Authority to determine whether it is considered that there are any significant effects likely to arise from the proposed development. Schedule 2 developments only require an EIA to be completed if it is considered they are “likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size or location” (Regulation 2, Interpretation of ‘EIA development’). As discussed further below, we do not believe that the proposed development will result in significant environmental impacts in EIA terms and therefore will not require an Environmental Statement (ES) to accompany any application. Schedule 3 (Regulation 5(4)) of the EIA Regulations identifies the ‘selection criteria for screening Schedule 2 development’, which are categorised under three general headings: characteristics of development; location of development; and types and characteristics of Page | 4 363 Edgware Road, Colindale, London, NW9 6AF www.pegasusgroup.co.uk the potential impact. An assessment of the relevant criteria within each of these headings (and subsequent subheadings) is considered in turn below. 1. Characteristics of development a) Size and design of the whole development The Site extends to 0.35ha in size, and the proposed development would therefore result in less than 1ha of urban development. This is below the applicable thresholds of 1ha of urban development which is not dwellinghouse development, and 5ha of overall area of development as set out within Schedule 2 of the EIA Regulations. The characteristics of the development would not have a significant urbanising effect, due to the surrounding built form of the urban area within which the Site is located. The Site is also located in the designated Burnt Oak/Colindale Growth Area which is undergoing significant intensification over a much wider area. The proposals constitute a mix of uses, including up to 165 residential units, along with commercial/retail uses.